Home Depot Daryll Sanderson Refused return WITH RECEIPT Centerville, Ohio

i just wanted to let you know that the very first return, that you dint have your receipt on you could have just swiped your Credit card/debit card that you bought the water heater with. it would have pulled up your receipt and you would have been fine. i am really sorry for all the trouble you have had with HD. it is our policy to make the costumer happy. but sometimes it gets a little hard when our system gets involved. try using the same cc/debit card every time you shop at HD and if you ever lose or forget your Receipt it can pull up all your recent purchases with just a swipe of your cc. its like having your receipt with our it being physically there. also side note here.. having multiple returns in a 5 day span sends red flags to our system. 

I see ken & team rebuttal is at it again protecting bad businesses.  They don't own rip-off report 7 they are here to cause us more injustices.

Thank you to whomever you are.  This is one of the most---and probably the only---useful rebuttal that I've seen posted to this site.  Not one hostile word in it.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you !!
It's nice to know that some of the people on here have some intelligence and maturity.

The number you have to call does have nice people behind the phone I'm sure, but they should realize that although they don't deserve to get yelled at, the customers calling them are already upset and charged up, so to speak.  As well, I,  just like this other person, was also denied a refund, and I had a valid receipt.  The store credits were ultimately given from the purchase of a $100 gift card.  They were small amounts left over from small returns, but it didn't seem to matter.  All the purchases and returns WERE made with receipts.  It seems that it is clearly a matter JUST linked to being given too many store credits in whatever period of time, regardless if they're for a few dollars, or several hundred. 

The 1-800 number told me they were NOT able to reverse any decisions made by the computers, but offered advice, which again I thought was clearly wrong.  She told me just wait at least 90 days, and return my $8 worth of merchandise WITHOUT the original receipt and just ask for store credit; then told me to make sure I spent it only on items that I knew I would never return.   What??????   That's just telling me how to get around the system.  How strange---and wrong!

And I agree with you: the managers SHOULD have every ability to override the system's decision if someone is returning merchandise with a valid receipt.  I had 2 very helpless, but sympathetic managers working on my case, and neither one could do a darn thing for me.

I have to agree with you that is was just irresponsible for the cashier to offer a gift card for several hundred dollars.  That's just weird.

As a former HD Cashier, I just wanted to say sorry for the mixup and offer an explanation. Of course it won't make things better, however it may help you to understand what happened, and what exactly went wrong...

For several years, HD has kept track of Driver's License Numbers when making a return without a receipt. I am not aware of why this was done other than to potentially prosecute people who were returning stolen merchandise, but in my years at Home Depot, I have seen no one punished for returning items. However a few months ago, HD rolled out a major update to the POS system that featured many new upgrades all at once. One of those "upgrades" was that the computer would keep track of returns without merchandise and flag any suspicious returns, and if that card-holder kept returning items without a receipt, then the system would print out a warning, and then the next transaction would result in a denial. When you are denied, you cannot make returns for 90 days and if you try, it will just reset a clock and you can wait another 90 days. Another little "bonus" is that it also keeps track of your DL# every time you return merchandise that was purchased on a Store Credit OR Gift Card, because there has been a substantial amount of fraud related to gift cards and store credit cards.

Before this system, it was standard to just offer a store credit when a customer didn't have a receipt, but after this system took effect, Cashiers needed to be more careful with this because they could inadvertently hurt a customer's record by doing this, and unfortunately the cashier hurt your record. He/she should NEVER have returned a water heater without a receipt. That was negligence on their part and any good manager would have counseled them over that. Not only must you have a receipt to return a water heater, but to return a $700 product without a receipt automatically flagged you. Unfortunately the computer does not know what you return, but it keeps track of how much the merchandise costs and the time intervals in which you returned them. In our training, we were told that customers were supposed to get a warning before they get denied, but I have never had anyone to get a warning before, unfortunately, and clearly you did not either. Since you were returning the items purchased with a store credit, your DL# was recorded and eventually, you go the denial. There is no way for even the store manager to override this, which I think is wrong.

Believe it or not, though, the system was designed to curb FRAUDULENT returns, which is rampant throughout Home Depot, since we do have our nice returns policy. FOR EXAMPLE, There were/are still instances in which customers would walk in the lumber entrance with an empty cart, walk through the store, fill it up, and then go to the returns desk to "return" the merchandise for store credit because they "forgot their receipt." One may ask why we allow them to do that, and the answer is that if we don't catch them, we cannot prosecute, and hard as it maybe to believe, there is not someone watching the cameras all the time. In fact, in most stores, someone in a central location will spend a few minutes glancing through some of the footage at a store far away and thats it. Other times, people walk out with bags full of $60 water filters in their purse and try to return them at other stores without a receipt. It happens a lot!

There have been no reports given to employees as to how the program has worked out, but our store does about 3-4 thousand returns/month, and we typically get less than 10 people denied per month. It actually shocks us when we get them since they are so rare. But again, the computer is programed to look at patterns and it doesn't know that you had a receipt and that the cashier returned it for you so you didn't have to drive home, so as far as the system is concerned, your pattern of returns was suspicious.

The only thing I do have a hard time believing is that the people on the line were rude when you called them, because in my experience, they've been pleasant and more than willing to answer questions. They can even override it when they feel a mistake has been made. I don't know how the OP was to the person he/she spoke with but I would imagine the nicer you are to them, the more willing they are to help. I've seen customers call the number and start yelling at the person immediately and get no where, but I've also seen people be very nice to them and they will override the system once. Just a suggestion.

Also, if you don't get anywhere with that number, I would contact Home Depot customer service and file a complaint with them if you feel that strongly about it. They do take these concerns seriously, and as a former HD employee, I can honestly say that customer service is very important to Home Depot and depending on how you handle it, they will try to resolve the issue as best they can. Let me know if you have any more questions or if my explanation was not concise enough.

I think HD has found a marketing ploy that will earn them a ton of money in the end.  You would constantly be getting store credit back because you have to wait at least 90 days until you can attempt another return on the item, which puts it beyond the returnable date for original payment refund.  They would just AGAIN return the item(s) for store credit.

Your credit card purchase for $300 with $20 store credit used, now becomes a $320 store credit return.  They get to keep all of your money regardless.  I hope you shop there regularly and plan to use at least that much for purchases in the near future.

Personally, they're off my shopping list now.  I will sell the store credit to another family member I have that shops there.  They won't get any more of my money.  With all the thousands of dollars that I've spent there over the last many years (WITHOUT store credit!!!), it really angers me that they would do this to their customers.

They may think this will take care of only the dishonest customers, but I can assure you, the HONEST ones FAR OUTNUMBER those people, and all they are going to do in the end is lose the good ones.  Whatever.........

I understand your suggestion. But I believe once the receipt is "marked" by the system it doesn't matter who's ID is used. Unless I am wrong, it was explained to me the fact that the $8 of store credit applied to the $303 purchase was linked to a different driverse license, that caused the retun to be denied. We even tried it with her ID (the $8 was issued to her), but the receipt appears to be in the system as denied.

The bozo, defending Home Depot here uses the argument that I'm costing HD money. When in fact HD is profiting from our purchases by buying an item for $20 and selling it to us for $40. We just accept that. But we as customers are paying a premium over HDs cost. Their profit. So no tears for Home Depot.

Make the return with your receipt, but have somebody else go with you and use THEIR identification number for the return.   Works every time.   And ignore the rudeness on here.  I think these people are paid to do it to try to incite high blood pressures and anger/lashing out online.

Just so you know, Home Depot has already been paid for ther merchandise you have purchased, so there is no question as to whether or not they will be paid.

It appears that you make an unusually high number of returns which are very costly for a merchant.

Just the credit card cost alone, adds up as the merchant has to pay every time that card is swiped, and also a percentage of the sale or return.

People like you cost us all more money.

Plan more carefully what you need and avoid this issue altogether.

You are most likely one of those customers that Home Depot is trying to send to Lowes.

The denial of return was just a subtle clue.

Yesterday, I went to return $300 of electrical items purchased the day before at Home Depot. I do maintenance work and had a project. It is to time consuming to have to go to the site, and back to a store for every little thing. Anything I return is with a receipt, within a short time and in unopened condition.

My purchase was made via Master Card for $295, with an additional $8.60 from a merchandise credit from my wife. I believe that was the problem?

When I returned my items with receipt, I was asked for my Drivers License. Which was strange because they never ask for that with a receipt. He said it was for the $8 merchandise credit. No problem.

Then I got the Denial slip. And that there was nothing he could do. I was lead to believe by using my wifes store credit, and then my license that triggered it. I don't know. I would like to get back the $295 charged on my credit card.

The Retail Equation company sounds sleazy. I think they are trying to collect additional information for their system. Their website offers a copy of your report, but they want to call you.

So OP. It doesn't sound like a store manager can help me. I have my receipt showing I paid with my Master Card. Now 2 days ago. I was denied.

How were you able to get your resolved?

Any advice?

I'm wondering if I can dispute my credit card charge. I'm pretty sure if Master Card isn't going to pay them, they will accept their items back.

Thanks

Clive

behind any sort of anonymous name. This is my real name and my real location.

The other posters are absolutely correct, you did NOT follow the return policy to the "T". You returned an item without the correct reciept. Frankly, if I was the clerk that waited on you, I would have told you to pack sand. I never gave a refund without a reciept in the 10 years I worked retail. I wouldn't expect any company to give a refund without a reciept for the item being returned.

You sure make a lot of honest mistakes. I just redid all the floors in my house, repainted every wall, and replaced all the door frames. I didn't have to return a single item. Why? Because I measured everything correctly. I matched colors before I purchased anything for the rooms also.

I doubt you paid with cash for your purchases, right?

Returns are costly for a merchant in many ways.

The first is that many items cannot get put back on the shelf, but are sold off at a loss to bulk buyers.

Also, the cost of running that credit card or debit card is quite huge, so when you return something, that merchant paid to process your card twice, but made nothing on the sale at all.

Customers like you are a dead loss to a merchant, and none of them will miss you.

Guaranteed.

Get some professional help for your impulse shopping disorder.

The Original receipt that started this fiasco was not relinquished for proper processing. End of story. You did NOT follow the policy to a "T". ENd of discussion. One cannot educate the offender.

Its funny how some of the rebutt's are so critical as if they have Never had a need to return anything in their lives.

First off I did measure the door but unbeknownst to me my home which is a older home needed a smaller door than the opening to make it fit.  HONEST MISTAKE.  The lights were shown on the box with one picture and color and when we got the out of the box they were a much darker shade and so they would not work.  Both honest mistakes.  Its easy for you to sit back hidden under a anonymous name and cast stones but Im quite sure every last one of you have had the need to return items in your life.  Good for you that you are so perfect to never make a mistake or bad judgment in selecting items to purchase and even big round of applause that you have never forgot a piece paper 2"x4" in the car. I bow to your perfection.

Again these stores post their policy's and spend millions of dollars bragging of their easy return policy to get people in the door so they should live by what they say.  If they wish to have a policy strongly limiting returns that's fine with me no issue and I as a consumer know that when I walk in the door and would not expect to be able to return a item so easily.  However most retailers are going to a very very limited return policy because they have determined it does not cost them to simply place a item back on a shelf that has not been opened and they gain more customers by be customer friendly.  There are places like Nordstroms a very high end department store that really push that they will return a item at any time for any reason, I don't shop there for that reason and have rarely needed to return anything to them but I do feel comfortable knowing that if I select a purchase and it is defective or something a year later that's its great to know they would replace it. 

Enjoy your High perch its a mighty long way down to reality when you fall.

 Oh great, now Team Rebutt has a cheering squad. This is definitely not needed. How sad :<(

When returning items to a store, have your reciept with you. This whole chain of events would have been avoided if you simply had your reciept for the initial return.

You are the reason they have strict return policies. I've never returned anywhere near that much stuff in that short of a time span to any store. Oh, that's right, I make sure I need what I'm buying before I buy it. You don't bother measuring your door frame to see what doors you need before you buy them. You don't bother color matching lights before you buy them. Its seems that you just wander in and randomly pick sometyhing you like and the return it when it doesn't fit right.

Ken IS SPOT ON.  The retail industry is better off without customers like you.  The return policy is not there to encourage people to buy things without thinking and then return them.  Where is the profit?  It costs money to re-stock the item and place it back in the inventory.  The return policy is not why I shop in a store.

Actually no one was bending any rules you obviously did not read the full complaint, the policy they have was followed to a T, and I rarely return items and in this case none of the items were open.  Furthermore again as in most companys they have a return policy in place to encourage shoppers to SHOP in their stores.

Home Depot promotes how friendly they are to customers who need to make returns.  Ken is far from "SPOT ON" especiallly when he needs to sink to the level of name calling to make his point he immediately becomes worthless to this conversation.  If your attempt is to educate people to shop more carefuly then do that if you have some insight into the industry that maybe makes people who do not think before they shop by all means educate and inform but do so in a respectful manner not with rude negative comments that serve no purpose but to belittle and downgrade a person.

But as I said in this case once the corporate office got involved and looked into the situation they corrected the outside services MISTAKE and adhered to their own policys, I did nothing wrong I followed their policy and if they choose to change their policy then great but in this instance I followed their policy to a T.  If you notice accross this great country companys like Best BUy Borders Books and several other are closing their doors and shutting down because of their lack of customer service.  It is those companys that spend the time and money to make us consumers enjoy out shopping experience and feel comfortable with it that are flourishing.

Thank you Ken for maintaining a level head whilst others are being ignorant. I read your original response and it was fair and informative. I work in the "customer" friendly industry and even I have to say, WE , indeed are better off when it comes to a repeat offender. The amount of paperwork plus labor to re-process on the books and inventory never makes up for the small satisfaction the customer might have.

this particular incident clearly was handled poorly on both sides. The consumer NEEDS to abide by the receipt policy and the Staffer ( who obviously was "bending" the rules) soon found out that they opened pandoras box. Its rarely a wise idea to bend the policy..as this writer is a perfect example of how it can go awry.

Well it shows the maturity level of a person that when hiding behind a anonymous post resorts to name calling because they have no other option, regardless of that let me assure you there is a difference between buyers remorse and a buyers mistake!!! , maybe due to my giving you the full unabated story you felt differently but the simple fact is my items were NEVER opened and in fact were put back on the shelf while I was still in the store in one instance so they did not loose anything at all except a good customer.

Further more their policy allows for return and actually encourages the return if your not 100% satisfied therefor making us the consumer feel confidant we can shop loosely knowing that if we error in our shopping we have the ability to easily bring the item or items back with the receipt no questions asked.

In this instance it was eventually determined that in fact the service they were using made the decision with not having all the information I was permitted to return my item and received a $50 gift card for their lack of customer service and funny thing they didn't call me a jerk when they did that go figure.

Usually the business has to sell the returned item at a discounted price, receipt or not.

I'm 100% with them on this effort to control costs and keep from further raising prices so that serial returners can keep doing their thing.

If you and the OP don't like the policy, think more before buying and/or go somewhere else to shop...

O-o-o-p-s, that probably won't work for you either.  The other retaillers are having to do the same things to slow down jerks that cost them money.

I don't care if a company has a problem with someone who makes multiple purchases and returns or not.  If you have a receipt, you should be able to return your item/ items!!  What does a store need to care if a person has "buyers remorse" or not.  It's none of their business.  If they have a problem with returns, then they shouldn't have a returns department or returns policy.  Give ME a break.  Do you really think this was a good answer to this consumer's problem?

from multiple return customers.

You sound like someone who impulse purchases many times and then have buyers remorse or just change your mind and return items.

Companies have found that they will fare better without consumers like you.  Don't think Home Depot will miss you.

Their, and other company policy, does NOT take into account our receipt after you have triggered their return limitations.
You may have to revise your purchase decisions or suffer the consequences.

No, I DON'T work for Home Depot, but I do understand how a retailler will try to limit their losses due to excessive returns, and you sure fit that description.